Happy Holidays: Valentine's Day Edition
by nekkidboothinc
Summary: Booth and Brennan try to make a Hallmark holiday a little more meaningful. Seventh in the Happy Holidays series.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: What? You thought we wouldn't get some mushy gushy Valentine-y goodness to you this month? Well you are very mistaken, my friends. It is happening. Whether you like it or not. It's the best Valentine we can offer you that's **_**not **_**a chocolate-coated Booth. So, presented to you with love from Jamie & Kinsey (aka Nekkid Booth Inc.)…the Valentine's Day edition. It will be a multichap, so do alert if you are interested in gagging on more sweetilicious V-day fluff!**

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Temperance Brennan feared she was going to quickly become one of those women who professed to hate Valentine's Day. She'd been standing in a downtown DC stationary shop for over an hour, trying to find the perfect Valentine's Day card for Booth, and was having zero luck. Truth be told, she hadn't even planned on doing anything for the holiday, but when she'd mentioned her lack of enthusiasm to Angela, her friend had read her the riot act about how important a couple's first "V-day" was and how she'd better "march her cute little hiney to Hallmark and not leave until she'd found the perfect card for her _lovaaaaah_." So having figured that it wouldn't kill her to at least _experiment _with the holiday, march she had, and she'd been here for… seventy-three minutes. Damn.

She heaved a sigh and reached for one more card. A green one with a picture of a man and a woman on a carousel – much like the one Parker loved. In red foil letters at the bottom it said "This is no ordinary romance…" So far that sounded like them. What kind of relationship started out with an anonymous encounter in a dark bedroom while a Halloween party raged on the other side of the door? Okay, probably more than one. But what kind of relationship _really_ started when you were impossibly attracted to (and maybe just a little in love with) one of your co-workers? Hmm. Okay, probably a few of those too. Still. She and Booth were special. Definitely extraordinary. She flipped the card open and read the message inside: "It's a thrill-a-minute crazy-fun adventure, and I'm so glad I'm in it with you. Happy Valentine's Day." Sappy. But the truth in the words made a small chill race up her spine. She plucked the matching envelope from behind the cards and made her way to the front, a colorful display of cards for kids catching her eye on her way to the check out. Parker. Right.

She had a much easier time picking one for her favorite little boy; the card was blindingly appropriate after the weekend before when she'd pulled some strings with the guys in the space exhibit and had been allowed to camp out over night in the planetarium with Parker and Seeley – an event Parker had deemed "the coolest EVER and could he please Bones puh-leeeeeze have his birthday party here?" On the front was a cartoon of the Milky Way Galaxy and the phrase "Hey Valentine…" Brennan opened the card and read "I think you're outta this world!" Perfect. She moved to the check-out counter and smiled at the young lady behind the register. Paying quickly and sticking her cards in her purse to avoid the unnecessary bag, Brennan headed back out into the chilly February afternoon.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket and she pulled it out, not bothering with the caller ID. "Brennan," she answered.

"I seem to have misplaced the most beautiful girl in the world. Have you seen her?"

"Hmmm. Might have. What's she look like?" Brennan teased.

"Most gorgeous blue eyes I've ever seen. Legs for days. Cute little ass. Ring a bell?"

"Sounds vaguely familiar. What are you doing, goofball?"

She could hear the smile in Booth's voice when he answered. "I have been instructed to cordially invite you to a Valentine's Day dinner prepared by your two favorite Booth men."

"That sounds wonderful," Brennan smiled. She'd shared dozens of meals with Booth and Parker over the past few months and always enjoyed herself. Parker was a wonderful little boy and she was really beginning to look forward to the time they got to spend together. He was always full of smiles and infectious little-boy energy, not to mention the great drawings and pages torn from coloring books peppering her office and her refrigerator at home – he made sure to have a new one for her every time he saw her. "When should I come over?" she asked.

"Whenever you want – I figured we could eat about six or seven."

"And what is on the menu at Chez Booth tonight?"

"Chicken strips and mashed potatoes. And the best damn ice cream sundaes you ever tasted."

"I can't wait. I'll stop and get a movie and popcorn."

"See you tonight. And if you run across the most beautiful girl in the world? Tell her I love her."

Brennan groaned but felt that same little shiver go up her spine at her partner's words. "She loves you too, Seeley."

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He couldn't help himself; while he normally had just the slightest amount of disdain for Hallmark holidays (although he typically managed to come up with a dozen roses for whatever girlfriend he had on that particular day of the year), now he'd use pretty much any excuse he could to bring a smile to Bones' face. Somehow knowing instinctively that flowers and chocolate just wouldn't adequately convey what he felt, he consulted an expert: Parker Booth, who typically spent Valentine's with Seeley since his mother had decided that romance was distinctly hard to come by with a 6-year-old in the house. Parker told him that they should convey their appreciation for the new woman in their lives by cooking her the best foods known to man—well, the best foods known to Parker. Feeling very agreeable, Booth stocked up on chicken and potatoes and ice cream, the second of which they were working on preparing right this second.

"So, Park," he said nonchalantly as he cut up the potatoes, "You cool with Bones hanging out with us so much?"

"Yup." His son was dropping the cut-up pieces until the pot of water. "She knows the coolest stuff. And she's not always…you know…acting like a girl." Apparently referencing the enthusiasm with which Bones had played the "gross" game that she got the kid for Christmas.

"Alright. Not so bad having her around, huh?"

"Nope. Why? Are you guys gonna get married or something?"

That was his son. None too keen on subtlety. He tried to avoid stuttering in surprise at the question, mostly unsuccessfully. "Uh…no…I…well…I don't think…no."

His son was oblivious to his discomfort. "Because I don't like to dress up. Mom and I went to Aunt Renee's wedding and the clothes were worse than normal church clothes. It was all itchy and hot."

Booth did his best to recover. "That doesn't sound fun."

"It wasn't. But the food was pretty good, and we got to do the Chicken Dance after at the party and it started going so fast that Uncle Dennis almost fell down and it was funny."

He had to smile. "God forbid a wedding reception in Pennsylvania _doesn't _have the Chicken Dance."

"Will we do the Chicken Dance at your wedding?"

"That _and _the Hokey Pokey _and _the Macarena."

Parker giggled, which was the reaction he was hoping for. Right then, the doorbell rang. "_Daddy," _the little boy said indignantly. "We're not _ready _yet."

"Uh oh. Tell you what. You go answer the door and entertain Bones for awhile while I finish this up. We'll get it all set up in no time."

"'Kay." The child cheerfully abandoned his spot by the stove and started tearing into the living room, his hands still soaking wet.

"Dry off, Parker," he called after him. "And don't forget to say Happy Valentine's Day!"

He listened from the kitchen, enjoying the exchange between his girlfriend and his son. The first thing he heard was an "Oomph" as Parker apparently threw himself into Brennan's arms, disregarding the instructions to dry off in his excitement of seeing Bones.

"Happy Valentine's Day!"

"Thanks, kiddo. You too. You look like you've been working hard."

"Yup. You don't get to see yet though."

"Oh, okay. What have you and your Dad been doing?"

"Cooking stuff and talking about the Chicken Dance."

Her response was predictable. "The Chicken Dance? What's that?" Booth could almost see his son's shocked face.

"You don't know the _Chicken Dance? _I'll have to teach you. You have to learn in time for the wedding."

Okay, sounded like it was time for him to make his own grand entrance. Wiping his hands on the dishtowel, he abandoned the stove and hurried into the room, where he found Bones watching amusedly as Parker flapped his arms and wiggled around in demonstration. "Welcome to _Chez Booth. _I hope you enjoy your live entertainment this evening."

She glanced up, smiling at him. "Yes. And apparently it's interactive." She leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the lips, and Parker purposely covered his eyes. "Happy Valentine's Day." Shyly she handed him an envelope. He took it from her hands, touched, knowing that it was very unlikely that she had been so thoughtful on this holiday before.

"Well thank you, gorgeous. I'll open this over sundaes later. For now, why don't you sit and relax and let Parker tell you about his Valentine's Day at school."

"It was sooooo gross. They made us give valentines to everyone. Even the people we think are icky."

"You think you can handle one more?" she asked apologetically, giving Parker his card.

"Sure. You're not icky."

"Thanks! That's one of the best compliments I got all day," she teased him. She turned to Booth. "Are we going to a wedding?"

It wasn't the time or place for that conversation. "Only if you can learn to chicken dance first."

His girlfriend looked at him defiantly. "Hey. If I can learn the Seeley Booth Shuffle so fast, I'm _sure _I can learn any other dance in short order."

Parker looked at them questioningly. "What's the Seeley Booth Shuffle?"

Booth looked at Brennan. Brennan looked back. Simultaneously, they both began their own version of the touchdown dance that had both horrified them and stole one another's hearts last Super Bowl Sunday. Parker stared.

"Guys," he informed them, looking appalled. "You are _not _doing that at the wedding."

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**A/N: Thank you soooo much so much for the beauteous reviews for the last edition! Your love keeps us writing holiday-round. But no President's Day edition. Don't ask. St. Patty's Day, if you are lucky. But we must draw the line somewhere;)**

**Loves! **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Ya, we know. It's barely even Valentine's season anymore. Stupid real life. If you wish to make donations to the "Keep Jamie and Kinsey writing fanfic instead of doing actual jobs" fund, contact us and we'll be happy to give you information about that.**

**Hope the impending March-hood doesn't keep you from enjoying more Valentine fluff!**

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Once Booth was back in the kitchen, Brennan settled on the couch where Parker cuddled immediately up to her side. It had taken her some time to get used to his affectionate snuggling and his seeming immediate trust of her -- it was hard to understand the blind faith with which he approached life, but she was mostly used to it now. Booth had explained his theory to her after Parker had asked her to tuck him in one night, just her, no daddy necessary. In typical Booth fashion, he'd first tried to tell her that obviously Parker got his great taste in women from his father, but when she'd slugged him and told him she was serious, he'd shrugged and said that he guessed Parker just knew from how much his dad cared about her that Bones was good people and worth his trust. Of course, Brennan had explained that cognitively, there was no way Parker could have strung all of that together, which had made Booth refer to his original pronunciation: Parker just had the same great taste as his dad.

"So how was your party, Park?" Brennan asked, sifting her fingers through the little boy's blonde curls.

"It was okay," he shrugged.

"Did you get any valentines from anyone who _wasn't_ icky?" she teased, tickling his ribs.

He squirmed and giggled, then turned a little pink around the ears. Clearing his throat he answered. "No."

This was the first time she had seen the kid embarrassed, and she immediately picked up on the context. "Parrrrr-kerrrrr…" she teased. "Do you have a crush?"

"No, Bones. Girls are disgusting," Parker said, but his still-pink ears gave him away. He reminded her of Booth at that moment.

"Will you tell me the truth if I promise not to tease you?"

Parker glanced up at her, his brown eyes sparkling. "No. I mean yes! I mean… um…"

"So you _do_ have a crush," Brennan smiled gently. "Or is it just a girl who's a friend?" she prodded, giving him an out. The more time she spent with Parker, the more she remembered about her own childhood. After her parents had disappeared, she'd just thrown herself so far into school and her books that she very nearly forgot what it was like to be a carefree kid. Parker constantly provided excellent reminders.

"A girl who's a friend," he answered quietly.

"Well what do you like about her?" Brennan asked, smoothing a hand over his forehead.

"I dunno," he shrugged. "She's just fun."

Never one to argue with the logic of someone under four feet tall (well, maybe she had been at one point, but she'd stopped shortly after meeting Parker Booth), Brennan laid her head back against the back of the couch and let her eyes drift shut, her hand still rhythmically stroking Parker's hair.

What seemed like only seconds later, she felt warm breath against her lips. "Wake up, beautiful," Booth whispered, dropping a light kiss on her lips. "You two planning to snooze through dinner?" he asked.

"I guess we just fell asleep for a minute," she whispered so as not to wake the little boy asleep in her lap. "I think Parker has a crush on a girl at school," she informed his father.

Booth snorted. "I think Parker has a crush on his dad's girlfriend."

"What?" Brennan asked incredulously.

"You're so smart, and pretty, and not all _girly_," Booth faked a shudder. "He seems to think the 'not girly' thing is your finest quality, by the way."

"And what do _you_ think?" Brennan teased.

"_I_ think you're very girly." She gave him an indignant look, prompting a quick follow-up from him. "And I love it," Booth grinned, kissing her slowly and sweetly.

She smiled against his mouth. "Dinner ready?" she asked.

Booth nodded and shook Parker's shoulder gently. "Let's eat, Bub."

When Parker finally fully woke, he and Brennan followed Booth into the kitchen and sat down at the table. "This looks great, guys," Brennan complimented.

"What's this _guys_ jazz?" Booth complained. My sous-chef was asleep in your lap while I was doing all the work!"

Brennan laughed and Parker looked confused. "What's a sous-chef?" he asked.

"Like a helper chef," Brennan supplied.

"I can't help it if Bones is comfy, Dad," Parker shrugged. "She's a good snuggler. Like Mom," he said, his mouth full of chicken and potatoes. Brennan choked slightly and gulped down a drink of her water. Wow.

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Having artfully dodged the "wedding" comments twice, Booth had been satisfied that his son's train of thought had been sufficiently derailed enough for him to safely leave the room, without having to worry about Bones running out screaming into the night at the implication. Although, he thought, casting one last glance at the chummy pair on the couch, maybe he should give his girlfriend more credit for being able to cope with this different lifestyle. At work, she was very much the Bones he was used to…serious, focused, approaching any and all challenges with a single-minded determination that he both admired and became frustrated with. But here…he had always known that there was more than one side of her. The passionate part, the caring part, the nurturing part. He had seen glimpses of those throughout their partnership, and now he was thrilled to see them cultivated. He loved them all. Every single little bit.

Satisfied that the two most important people in his life were resting comfortably, he went back to work in the kitchen. This wasn't the most romantic meal he had ever cooked for a woman, he admitted to himself as he breaded the chicken pieces and tossed them into the sizzling pan. But somehow, this gift felt more satisfying than any he had given in a long time. He had shopped for presents for her, spending almost two hours online looking at lingerie and near-drooling imagining each piece on her body. But at the end of the search, he came to the conclusion that none of them were near as sexy as the way she looked in one of his shirts while they lounged together in the late evening. So he settled for a gift less provocative, but somehow, more intimate.

He set the table, complete with candles to add some semblance of ambiance, and as the finishing touch slid her card onto her seat. Perfect. For a romantic dinner for…three.

Once all the food was ready, he went out to fetch Bones and Parker, and found his sleeping son sprawled across his sleeping girlfriend like he was shielding her from any other kid who would have the nerve to consider using her lap. He chuckled softly. At least _he _couldn't be accused of being the clingiest one in this relationship. "Wake up, beautiful."

Bones blinked her sleepy eyes. Informed him that his son was apparently smitten with someone at school. She still had a lot to learn about kids. He told her the true object of Parker's affections, and laughed at her bewilderment. In her world, total trust, like the kind Parker had in her, took years of work and hundreds of pieces of evidence to achieve. Booth could tell that fact that Parker depended on her filled her with an uncomfortable, ill-understood pleasure. Booth remembered how overwhelming that had felt when he first became a father, and knew it was probably even stranger for Bones, so he did his best to give her mental room to figure it for herself.

Parker didn't help matters when he compared Bones to his Mom during their meal. Booth had to choke back a laugh, as he could think of nary a personality trait that Bones and Rebecca shared. Well. Maybe the stubbornness factor. Yes, both of them could be mighty hardheaded about things they believed in. Apparently, Seeley Booth had a masochistic streak in his choice of romantic partners. Seeing Bones' near-panicked reaction to the innocent comparison, he quickly did his best to pull his amusement under control and change the subject. "Here's to the best Valentine's Day ever," he toasted, raising his glass of Sprite. "And to good food, and the Chicken Dance, and non-icky people."

Bones recovered and toasted with him. They ate the rest of their Valentine's meal in comfortable conversation, much to Booth's relief.

When they were near stuffed, Bones spoke up. "Thanks for letting me be a part of your holiday, guys."

Parker nodded. "Usually we just lay around and watch hockey. No girls allowed."

"No talking with your mouth full, bud," Booth reminded him. The little boy took the last swallow of food which seemed to be twice his size.

"Do you play hockey, Bones?" Parker asked.

"Yes."

Booth's fork clattered to his plate. She _did? _He didn't know why these things surprised him anymore.

"It's a good sport for building dexterity and flexibility, and for developing quick reaction time," she explained.

"Will you teach me sometime?" Parker asked hopefully.

"Hey," he said indignantly. "I play hockey too, you know." Now he was starting to get jealous. Apparently, he had a new female version of Captain Fantastic to worry about.

"You can watch," his son told him.

"_Watch?"_

"You already taught me how to play soccer. I want to learn hockey from Bones."

She was getting that look on her face again. That part-pleased, but part-baffled look that showed how she just couldn't comprehend why this child wanted to spend so much time with her. _Because you are awesome, Bones, _he thought, trying to will the belief into her. She wasn't insecure about her intelligence, her looks, her work skills…but one of these days he was going to make her see just how good she was at love. _You are awesome, and I know it, and my kid knows it the same way he knows that Santa is real and Jesus loves him and his parents will always be there to take care of him. When it comes to this stuff, kids know the truth, because they don't think too much. They just feel it._ The concept was foreign to her, he knew. He could see the wheels in her head turning.

It was going to take awhile for her to get it. And it was one thing he couldn't teach her. Some things, only a kid could teach you.

"Sure, we'll play sometime, Park," she spoke up quietly. "And maybe, if your Dad is good, we'll even let him in for a game or two."

"Yay!" the little boy cheered. Despite his jealousy, Booth had to grin at his excitement. Parker sprang up from his seat and hugged a surprised Brennan. "Thanks, Bones! Love you." He ran over and grabbed his father's hand. "Come on, Dad! Let's get the ice cream!"

He dragged his father towards the kitchen, completely oblivious to the impact of his carefree words. Oh, Parker.

Something told Booth that Bones would have more questions for him tonight.

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Brennan rinsed the last ice cream bowl and dried her hands on the blue-checked towel hanging from the refrigerator door. She picked up the card Booth had chosen for her and smiled at its simple yet sentimental message. Tucking Parker's small Transformers valentine inside his father's bigger one, she set them both next to her purse on the kitchen counter so she wouldn't forget them in the morning. Out of habit, she checked to make sure the stove and oven were both off and that the coffee pot was set to start brewing in the morning. Satisfied with her kitchen-cleaning skills (only fair since Booth had cooked) she flipped the light off and headed for the living room. "Hey guys, are we gonna watch that mo-" the sight in the living room stopped her in her tracks.

Seeley Booth lay in his recliner; glasses perched on his nose, Parker squeezed in beside him, the Shel Silverstein classic _Who Wants A Cheap Rhinoceros? _open across their laps. Brennan bit back a giggle at the sleeping Booth boys and moved silently across the room. She scooped Parker out of the chair, waking Booth when he felt his son's weight and warmth shift off of him. "Long day," he grinned sleepily at her.

"Apparently," she replied, Parker stirring slightly at the vibration of her voice.

"You an' Daddy tuck me in, Bones?" he asked sleepily.

"You bet, buddy," Booth answered, letting the footrest drop and grabbing the book they'd been reading.

Brennan carried Parker to his bedroom and helped Booth wrestle the sleepy kid into his pajamas. As father and son finished up their story, Brennan contemplated how quickly she'd slid into their world. She thought back to the day she and Jack had been buried alive by the Gravedigger, and how Jack had informed her what she had in Booth was faith. She had known she trusted Booth implicitly, but wasn't sure of the likelihood of that trust being the same as faith. There was no way Parker operated on anything other than faith, and she was starting to feel like being the one in whom faith was held was almost as powerful a feeling as being the holder.

Then again, maybe it wasn't so hard to believe. Parker had faith in her because he didn't know any better. He _loved_ her. Because it was just how he felt. The more time she spent around him (and his handsome father, for that matter) the more she enjoyed seeing things from his point of view.

Booth finished reading the story and closed the book, stashing it on Parker's nightstand. "Ready for bed?" he asked her with a lecherous grin.

She smiled back, nudging him with her shoulder. She leaned over and kissed Parker's forehead softly, following Booth to the doorway. "Love you, bud," Booth spoke softly, his voice barely audible.

"Love you guys," Parker mumbled.

"Love you," Brennan whispered. Booth squeezed her hand gently, leading her out of Parker's bedroom and down the hall to his. Once they were there, Booth pulled her into his arms. "He's crazy about you."

"I'm pretty fond of him myself," she smiled. She rested her head against his broad chest and stroked her fingers lightly over the faded lettering of his Led Zepplin tee shirt. "You know… when I'm with you guys… I just…"

"What, Bones?" he prodded gently.

"Just a feeling I have," she shrugged.

"What kind of feeling?"

"Don't take this the wrong way. I mean I haven't suddenly decided it's my mission to repopulate the earth," she said dryly. "But if I did have to live in a houseful of kids… I think I'd like them all to be like Parker."

Booth pulled back for a moment and looked at her, and she could see _his_ faith in her shining from his big brown eyes. "And if he had to have a houseful of dad's girlfriends, I bet he'd like them to all be like you," he teased.

She laughed slightly. "There better never be a houseful of…Dad's girlfriends, huh? Kind of a mouthful for a little kid," she murmured, her eyes drifting shut.

He whispered something back, but between her sleep-fogged brain and the fact that his face was buried in her hair, she wasn't positive what he'd said. "Hmmm?" she asked. "Tired?" he asked a little louder.

"Exhausted," she half-laughed. "Is this still going to be an okay first Valentine's day if we just go to sleep?" she begged.

Booth chuckled. "Oh, I s'pose. Sheesh. The concessions I make for you, woman," he teased, leading her to the king sized bed.

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**A/N: One more chap after this one! Hopefully sooner rather than later. Keep us motivated by reviewing!**

**Loves!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: IT'S V-DAY IN MARCH!!! Aren't you excited? Yes. Tres excited. It's almost like having a time machine!**

**Don't forget to honk if you lurve fluff!:-D**

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"PARKER BOOTH YOU GET YOUR HIND END TO THE TABLE FOR BREAKFAST NOW. _Pronto."_

Booth felt half-bad for yelling at the poor kid. After all, it wasn't _his _fault that they were running dangerously late. That responsibility lied firmly on the shoulders of his father. Well, and maybe just a _little _on his father's ridiculously irresistible partner. Who, for all of her recently tapped parenting instincts, still hadn't quite learned how to redirect the manipulations of a 6-year-old child who wasn't quite ready to go to school yet.

"Be nice," she whispered to him. "He's moving as fast as he can."

He watched as his son lugubriously pawed through his closet, looking for the _only _pair of sneakers that he would even consider wearing today. Booth snorted while his fingers flew about trying to adjust his own tie. "Trust me. He can move much faster. I've seen him get ready for a day at Six Flags."

"Boooo-oooones. Can you help me find my other red sneaker? I can only find oooooone."

Booth was hopping about, trying to put on his own shoes, but when he saw Bones head for Parker out of the corner of his eye he grabbed her elbow. "No buddy, just grab your white ones."

"But it's the day after Valentine's Day and I want to wear my _red sneakers." _The kid looked like he was about to cry. Brennan looked at Booth horrified for his being such a cruel parent.

He looked at her desperately for her understanding while buttoning his shirt at the same time. "I have a meeting in…" He checked the clock. "In 25 minutes. And Rebecca will _kill _me if she thinks I sent him off to school without breakfast."

"You should have woken me up earlier then," his son half-wailed from the other room.

Well, Parker was probably right. _Definitely _right. But what Booth hadn't been counting on was himself waking up not to the sound of his radio alarm, but to the sensual weight of his girlfriend's body over his own. "I know it's not Valentine's Day anymore," she had whispered apologetically in her sleep-husky voice, "but I'm feeling _much _more awake now." And suddenly, sleep was the last thing from _his _mind as well. He had flipped her over and kissed every part of her body he could reach while holding a muffling hand over her mouth to silence her breathy gasps. The alarm had turned on sometime in between the time she fought him onto his back again, climbing astride him with a wicked gleam in her eye, and the time he pulled her glistening body back down to rest on his heaving chest, stroking her hair in time to the rhythm of "Hotel California" with the morning sunlight streaming through the blinds. The music had been playing for 15 minutes and he _knew _they had to get up, but it took awhile to shake off the post-orgasmic haze and force himself away from their warm cocoon of blankets and each other.

So now that he thought about it, it was definitely _her _fault that right now he was facing Cullen's wrath for being late to his 8:00 a.m. meeting, and his son calling up Child Protective Services for being the worst daddy _ever _to not give him the space he needed to find his red post-Valentine's Day sneakers

"Parker, you have 5 minutes to finish getting dressed and eat your cereal. I'm not going to tell you again. I have to get you to school, get to this meeting at a time that _won't _get me fired, and run all around town today to get things settled for a case, and I don't have time to mess around." He was trying to shovel in his own breakfast at the same time he was pouring his coffee. Bones was watching the whole scene amusedly.

"But _Daddy…"_

"He's trying to kill me," he muttered to Bones under his breath.

"What time does he have to be at school?" she asked him.

"8:15. Which is why he's in _no _hurry."

"Can I make a suggestion?" she said tentatively.

"We can't ship him to Antarctica. Rebecca and I have already discussed that."

"I have a more realistic plan. How about you get to your meeting, I drop Parker off at school, and nobody dies or has to move to another continent?"

He looked at her incredulously through his mouthful of cereal. "Won't that make _you _late?"

"I sort of set my own hours, Booth. It's not like I don't usually stay late at the lab, anyway. It's not a big deal."

"But do you really want to…"

"Be alone with Parker?"

"Well…"

"I think I can handle watching a child for a half-hour by myself without losing him or anything."

"That's not…are you sure?"

"It's fine. Besides, I feel badly about us running late this morning anyway. I had forgotten you had a meeting. And I got…distracted."

He grinned. "Damn straight. All your fault."

"Funny. I don't remember you complaining at the time."

"It's hard to complain with someone's tongue in your mouth."

"_Ewwwww." _They had been so involved in their conversation that they hadn't seen Parker enter the kitchen.

"Grown-up thing, Parker. Don't worry about it," he told him.

"Grown-ups are so gross," his son informed him while sitting down at the table.

"And so _late." _He leaned over quickly to give his son a kiss on the forehead, while pulling on his jacket. "Bones is gonna take you to school, 'kay buddy? I'll see you next weekend."

"Bones is taking me to school?" he said excitedly.

"Yup. Don't give her trouble." Knowing full well that Parker was going to be as good as gold for Bones. He saved the difficult stuff for his parents.

"Cool. Love you, Dad."

As usual, his frustration with the kid dissolved at those words. "Love you back, bud." He turned to Bones, took her by the waist. "In case I haven't told you lately…you amaze me beyond words."

She rolled her eyes at him. "It's a half-hour of babysitting, Booth."

"Nonetheless." He pressed his lips to hers quickly.

He hurried to the door, but before leaving couldn't resist one last glance back into the kitchen, where Parker was chattering about school and Bones was wiping splashes of milk from his little cheeks. And for a second, despite his panicked lateness, he felt like it was a snapshot of exactly the life he wanted.

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"Thanks for takin' me to school, Bones," Parker mumbled around a mouthful of cereal.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Park," she reminded him, then startled slightly at how natural it felt to echo his father's regular dinner table command. "And you're welcome," she smiled. She stood up from the table and went in search of the elusive red sneaker, figuring Parker could probably get his lucky charms shoveled down without her supervisory stare. Her first stop was the front hall closet where she knew Booth had a tendency to chuck all the shoes he and Parker left laying in the entry way of the house.

"And none too neatly," she muttered to herself as she sank down on her haunches to dig through the pile of shoes. She glanced at her watch, knowing she had to get Parker moving pretty soon. "'Bout done with your breakfast, Bud?" she hollered back into the kitchen.

"I just rinsed my bowl," he answered from right behind her, making her jump. Parker giggled.

"What are you doing down there, Bones?"

"Looking for your red sneaker," she muttered, reaching again into the pile in the dark closet. Feeling a pair of shoe laces, she gave a gentle tug and came up victorious.

"Thanks!" Parker cheered when she held the shoe up.

"No problem," she said, sliding a hand through her hair and standing up. "Let's get outta here," she said, grabbing his already-packed backpack and lunch off the oak bench in the hall.

"Uh-oh," he whispered.

"What?" she sighed, only slightly frustrated.

"Now I can't find the other one," the gleam in his eye telling her something was up. Over the past few months she'd become more proficient at reading his face like a book. She knew this time he was stalling.

"Nice try. It's on the couch, right where you left it," she smiled. "Now stop stalling and let's get to school."

"Can't blame a guy for tryin'," he grinned up at her, his brown eyes sparkling.

She nearly choked at his obvious line, but instead just tousled his curly blonde hair. "Whose kid _are_ you, anyway?" she teased.

"Mom and Dad's!" Parker answered honestly, unaware of her teasing.

"C'mon, Buddy. We've got exactly fifteen minutes to get you to school," Brennan held the door for him and locked it behind her with the key Booth had given her a while back.

Walking out to her car with Parker's hand tucked into hers, she smiled at her own ease with the little boy. Her "half-hour of babysitting" had turned out better than she'd expected. When she'd told Booth how easy it would be, she'd been fibbing just a tiny bit. Parker had always been okay with her before, but his dad had always been close by. They'd never had a full half hour of one-on-one interaction, and truth be told, the enthusiasm with which she'd approached the task belied the bundle of nerves in her stomach.

She smiled down at Parker when she felt him swinging her arm back and forth on the way to the car. "Anything exciting happening at school today?"

"Not really. It's Friday, so I have a spelling test, but me and Dad practiced before you came over last night."

"Dad and I," she corrected automatically.

Parker laughed. "I know. I just wanted to see if _you_ knew," he teased. "Mom always goes over my spelling words in the car with me. Can we do that today?"

"Sure," Brennan replied, holding the door for him to hop into the back seat of her Jeep. He scrambled quickly for the list, handing it to her right before she shut the door. She jogged around to the driver's side and slid behind the wheel, taking a quick glance at his spelling list.

"You ready?" she glanced into the rearview mirror.

"Ready," he smiled back, all buckled in.

"Okay. Spell… could."

"C-O-U-L-D," he replied easily.

"Good job. How about kind?"

"That's an easy one, Bones! K-I-N-D."

"Right again," she smiled at the little boy in the mirror. "Okay, here's a hard one. Towel."

"Towel," Parker contemplated. "Towel. T-O-U… no wait. T-O-W-E-L."

"Good, Parker," Brennan praised. They made the short trip to Parker's elementary school in good time, going through Parker's spelling words twice before they arrived. Brennan pulled up out front and shifted the car into park. "Want me to go in with you?"

"Nah, I'm okay," he replied, unbuckling his seatbelt and gathering his stuff.

"Have a good day, Parker," Brennan smiled as the little boy hopped out of the jeep.

"Thanks! Bye Mom!" he waved and caught his slip with a giggle. "I mean bye Bones! Love you!"

Brennan waved back. "Love you back," she smiled. She waited to make sure he made it into the building before heading to the lab, her head swarming with questions and feelings, all of which left her a little confused.

An hour later, she sat in her office, a pile of files on the desk in front of her, her mind a million miles away.

"_Gooooooood_ morning, Sunshine!" Angela greeted, breezing into her office.

"Someone had a happy Valentine's Day," Brennan responded, not looking up from her computer monitor.

"You didn't?" Angela questioned.

Brennan nodded distractedly. "It was nice."

"Nice? _Nice?_ I come in here to get the dirty details on your first heart day with your sex-on-a-stick partner and you tell me it was _nice_?" Angela looked appalled.

"It was good," Brennan forced a bright smile.

"Okay. What happened?" Angela pushed the glass door shut and moved to curl up on Brennan's couch.

"Well," Brennan began. "We had Parker."

"Six-year-old's killin' the mojo?" Angela questioned sympathetically.

"Uh, no. No, that's not an issue," Brennan smiled, the first genuine smile since Angela had flitted in the door.

"I didn't figure," the artist responded dryly.

"_Anyway_," Brennan continued. "Parker told me he loved me the other night. That was new. And then this morning, Booth was running a little late, so I offered to take Park to school. And when I dropped him off, he told me he loved me again. And he called me mom. Accidentally, I think. This is all just… so much to process," she said, shaking her head.

"Accidentally?" Angela queried.

"I think he _meant_ to say Bones, but maybe he's just so used to his mom dropping him off?" Brennan replied.

"Probably," the artist agreed. "So what's the big deal? Gorgeous guy in love with you, great kid in love with you. I fail to see the problem."

"I'm not sure there _is_ a problem. It just seems like it's all going so fast."

"Bren, those Booth boys have been head over heels for you since the moment they laid eyes on you. I think if you're just as gentle with the little one's heart as I know you can be with the big one's, you're going to be just fine," Angela assured.

"It's only been a month and a half, Ange."

"Bren. Sweetie. It's been three years. Trust me. This one's a keeper."

"Still feels odd."

"Well, I'm still proud of you."

"Proud? For what? Abandoning my independence and being absorbed into family culture just like ninety percent of all American women do?" she asked dryly.

"Noooooo," her friend chided gently. "I don't think you are being absorbed at all. I think you are adding something new to your repertoire." Grinning, she nudged Brennan's shoulder. "Now, if you start skipping our girl time for PTA meetings or something, we might need to have a talk."

"We would _definitely _need to have a talk."

"I give you my word that I won't let you turn into a soccer mom," Angela promised solemnly. "I will drag you kicking and screaming from the mini-van." They grinned at each other. "Now. We got in a shipment of skeletons that are so decomposed they are almost dust. You game to try to do a facial reconstruction?"

"That decomposed?" Brennan said incredulously. "That'll be a fun challenge."

"If that's your idea of fun, I'm pretty sure the PTA won't even let you in."

"Thank _God."_

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He had been 5 minutes late to his meeting, which really wasn't _too _bad as far as he was concerned. But it had thrown off his whole day, and he found himself struggling perpetually to get caught up, bad traffic and uncooperative technology not helping his circumstances. He had a noon lunch with Caroline Julian which he ran into gasping at about 12:15.

"Seeley Booth," she had said tersely, "Need I remind you that my time is valuable and my clients eternally on my ass. I'd appreciate if _you'd _have your ass here when it's supposed to be."

"Sorry, sorry, sorry," he muttered, the words his mantra for the day. He slid into his seat. "My morning _started _very well, but has been going downhill ever since." Actually, he wasn't entirely convinced that he hadn't left at least part of his brain back in bed with Bones today. Why the hell did Valentine's Day have to fall on a weekday? He wondered how Bones made out with Parker once he had jetted from the house, and pulled back from his reverie just in time to catch the fact that Caroline had been saying something. "What?"

"I _said _that there's a jewelry store right across the street. Maybe when we're done here you want to wander over and get yourself a watch."

He looked guiltily down at his bare wrist, his watch being one of the things he didn't quite have time for this morning. Okay. Time to pull his shit together and get down to business. Caroline wasn't messing around, and it wasn't on his agenda today to get on the feisty attorney's bad side. Pushing aside all thoughts of missing sneakers and rushed breakfasts and morning interludes with Bones, he focused on the case that she was presenting to him, and managed for the first time that day to have a productive meeting. At the end, Caroline seemed satisfied, and he nearly heaved a sigh of relief at the feeling of getting something accomplished today.

"So," she said once they had finished with business, and she forced him to stay sitting until he was done with his cup of coffee. "I'm surprised you haven't given me more flack about my little Christmas-eve tradeoff. Half the fun was going to be all the bellyaching I was going to hear about having to smooch your genius partner."

A laugh almost escaped him. _That was barely a kiss, lady. You should just be glad that I didn't start to undress her under the mistletoe. _Then _you would have gotten an eyeful enough to be freaked out by. _Instead of saying it, he just looked at her ruefully. "Na, not a big deal. You better be careful though. One of these days one of your shenanigans is going to land you a sexual harassment charge."

Caroline snorted. "With everything else that happens in that office? That little kiss was like Doris Day at the Playboy mansion."

_My thoughts exactly. _He chose not to verbalize that though, instead, just smiling winsomely. She looked at him suspiciously.

"You got a secret, Secret Agent Man?"

"Nope. No secret." He stood from the table, taking his last sip of coffee and pulling money from his wallet to cover his part of the tab. "Temperance Brennan is my Valentine. Which is exactly why I started running late today." He tossed the bills on the table. "See ya Caroline." He couldn't stop the surge of satisfaction at the sight of her dropping jaw right before he turned to go out the door.

Chuckling to himself, he crossed the street to his car, parked right in front of the store Caroline had suggested he get his watch from. Served the puckish busybody right, he thought as he pulled out his keys. A series of brilliant sparkles from the store window distracted him.

Seeley Booth had never, in his memory, entered into a fugue state, so it seemed unlikely that this was what happened now. But later, he couldn't think of any other explanation for why he had little to no memory of crossing the sidewalk, entering the doors of the store, or standing contemplatively in front of the glass display. And that display definitely wasn't full of watches. All he remembered was being disrupted by the voice of the saleswoman.

"Can I help you find something?"

He was only slightly more attentive at the interruption. "Just looking," he murmured, unable to take his eyes from the dazzling display. She followed the track of his vision and smiled.

"That's one of our most popular styles." Opening the case, she pulled out the small pillow. "The princess cut is a classic, but the additional channel settings that run the length of the band make this spectacular."

He blinked, apparently hypnotized by the prism effect being created by the bright display lights on the piece that she was holding.

"Is this something similar to the kind of diamond that you are thinking of buying?"

That did it. He snapped out of it and finally met the eyes of the smiling salesperson, and felt blood seeping into his cheeks hotly. His eyes got round. "Oh…I….no, it's not…um…" He must have dropped his vocabulary on the street between the diner and the store. "I've got to go."

He near flew to the door. Behind him, a voice trailed… "Come back when you're ready!"

Finally reaching to safety of his car's front seat, he drew a shaky breath, huffing like he just ran a marathon.

He knew it was going to happen sooner or later. Bones had done it. She had finally done it.

She had driven him crazy.

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**A/N: Big old Valentine's smooch from us to you. Next up: A St. Patrick's day oneshot to warm your spirits. And you don't even want to know **_**what **_**we are planning for Easter. Don't ask. Your heads will explode with anticipation if you knew. LOL. Loves.**


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